Joseph



na e

Phir mr Quince,

, Josaer1-= rnrnsajon- Morin- HAVEN, NEW. YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming partofiIietters, Patent No. 224,263, datedFebruary 3, 1880;

Application filed April 17,1819.

to be one of the most difficnlt metals to deposit successfully byelectrolysis, and that heretofore the solutions used for nickel-platin ghave been of a compound nature, in most, if

r not all cases, consisting of double salts, such as the double sulphateof nickel and ammonia, or chloride of nickel and ammonia. Indeed, it hasbeen heretofore held as impracticable to nickel-plate with a singlesalt. I have succeeded, however, in producing deposits of nickel from asolution of a simple single salt which presents advantages which Ibelieve are unique and superior to what has heretofore been effected;and the essential feature of my invention or discovery may be stated toconsist in electroplating with nickel by means of a solution of theacetate of nickel.

For the purposes of my invention the acetate of nickel may be preparedin any of the ways known to chemists, and which do not here requiredescription. It is, of course, preferable that the salt be as pure aspossible; but the qualities of a solution of this salt for plating aresuch that absolute purity is not essential, and its preparation doesnot, therefore, require such expensive care as is the case with thecompounds heretofore used for this purpose.

For the purpose of plating, the acetate of nickel is dissolved in clearwater, the solution being made of a strength preferably from 8 to 10Baum; but it may be weaker. This solution is used in the platingapparatus in the same manner as; the solutions employed heretofore, thebattery being connected there with, and a nickel anode being employed inthe usual manner, as is well understood by electroplaters. Thissolution, however, has the great advantage that it contains a muchlarger proportion of metal than the nickel-salt solutions heretoforeused, and is hence a good conductorof the current, and, moreover, is-

easily decomposed thereby, so that a much weaker current suffices-t0.-produc easnccessfiil deposit of the metal; Furthermore,- astheso.-.

lution is of a simple nature, being a single salt of a weak organicacid, it is not subject to those irregular decompositions which renderthe management of the usual double salt solution so difficult andrequire such careful regulation of the current and the avoidance of anyslight acid or alkalineimpurity. Thus it is well known to platers thatthose compound solutions containing salts of strong acids or stronglycorrosive substances, such as chlorine and sulphur, are subject, underany irregular conditions, to changes or decompositions which causecorrosions of the article being plated, commonly termed burning! Thesimple 'solution of acetate of nickel, however, which I employ is foundto be quite free of any such tendency, which is ascribable, it isbelieved, to the weak nature of its acid, its large amount of metal, andthe simple nature of the salt, it being an obvious principle that thesimpler are the conditions the less liability is there to confusion orirregularity in the action.

A most important advantage of this acetate- .plate steel and cast orwrought iron directly with a coating of nickel of sufficient thicknessfor protection, and of a perfectly adhering, close, and tough quality,which is believed to be a result quite unique and of great importance inthe arts.

' The previous or existing modes of nickelplating, as is well known, arenot adapted for common or cheap articles of iron or steel, as in mostall cases a previous coating of copper is required, and the expense ofsuch double coating of copper and nickel is found to be too great to beadapted to articles for general sale, while, furthermore, unless theoperation is carefully conducted, the adhesion of the deposit is notgood. My improvement in the art, however, enables common articles ofhardware in cast or wrought iron or steel to be plated directly with alasting and ornamental coating of nickel, which greatly enhances theirsalable and Wearing qualities, and but slightly increases their cost--aresult long sought for, but not heretofore attained-While the adhesionof the nickel directly to the iron is actu ally found to be superior tothe adhesion of copper in copper-plating, which constitutes, it isbelieved, an important advance in the art.

The qualities of the deposit produced from this solution of acetate ofnickel is found to be excellent, being smooth, brilliant, and tough, andfree of any granular or scaly tendency.

Most all metals can be directly plated from this solution, the mostdifiicult metals to plate being the soft poorly-conducting metals; butamong these zinc-the most commonly usedcan, with care, be well plated.

I may mention that another salt may sometimes be combined with theacetate of nickel, such as acetate of ammonia; but I prefer to use theacetate of nickel alone. It will also be understood thatmy invention is,of course, applicable to producing deposits of nickel for the purpose ofelectrotypin g as well as for ordinary plating, or for any othereleotro-dcposition of nickel.

What I claim as my invention is-- The electro'deposition of nickel bymeans of a solution of acetate of nickel, substantially as herein setforth.

JOSEPH YATES.

Witnesses:

J OHN E. GAVIN, CHAS. M. HIGGINS.

